Voting-machine.



PATENTBD DEC. 3, 1907.

C. M. WARNER.

' VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum MAR. s, 1906.

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C.' M. WARNER. VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s. 1906.

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C. M. WARNER.

VOTING MACHINE.

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VOTING 1am/mmmi APPLICATION FILED MAILS. 1906.

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C. M. WARNER.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. e, 190s.

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PATBNTED DEG. 3, 1907.

C. M. WARNER. VOTING MACHINE.

APPLIcATIoN FILED MAHx e, 1906.

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CLARENCE MORRIS WARNER, OF CAMBRIDGE, ILLINOIS.

VOTING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed March 6. 1906. Serial No. 304.575.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE Monnrs VARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Henry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Voting-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to voting machines, and has for its object to prevent actuation of the tally mechanism for repeating even though the head of a voting key may be drawn out through the case or cabinet after the body has once been actuated, to prevent the fraudulent increase of the properly recorded number of votes; to provide certain improvements in the register wheel mechanism; to provide an improved mounting of the tape upon which the record. of the votes is marked; to provide for looking the voting mechanisms either wholly or in part; and to facilitate the resetting of the voting mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details may be made, within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a to plan view of a voting machine embodying tlle features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking from front to rear of the machine. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on. the line 343 of Fig. 1 looking from the rear of the machine. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken through one tally mechanism on the line (L-a of Fig. 3, and through the adjacent tally mechanism on the line ao of the same figure. Fig. 5 is a view looking at what is the left hand end of the machine when facing to the rear, parts of the end of the case being broken away to disclose certain internal mechanism. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjacent ends of two locking slides and the cooperating parts of a voting key. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner of locking one of the voting keys. Fig. S is a detail sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 2. Fig.

9 is an enlarged det ail view of the ratchet device for use in connection with the resetting mechanism. Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the dog or pawl in its reversed position. Fig. 11 is an edge view of the ratchet mechanism. Fig. 12 is a detail view of one 'of the tally tapes showing the manner of marking the record thereon. Fig. 13 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 3. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a detail of the tally mechanism.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

For housing or protecting the mechanical mechanisms of the present invention, there is provided a case or cabinet 1, preferably in the nature of a rectangular box of suitable proportions and provided with a flat bottom 2 upon which thewcabinet is designed to rest during the successive voting operations. It is proposed to have this bottom hinged to the body of the cabinet at the front thereof, as shown at 3 in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and normally locked by any suitable or appropriate locking means, such for instance, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 5 of the drawings,

.whereby tampering with the mechanisms within the case or cabinet is effectually precluded., while it is possible to quickly open the bottom of the case to give access to the registering mechanism for determining the number of votes cast for each candidate immediately upon the completion of voting.

U on reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it wlll be seen that there is a longitudinal series of card holders 5 upon the top of the case for containing cards bearing the names of the different political parties represented in the election. For each party card-holder 5 there is a row oi' series of card holders 6 eX- tending from front to rear of the case in alinement with the respective party cardholders and designed to contain cards bearing the names of the candidates of some particular party for the scveralofl'ices. At the left hand end of the top of the case there is another series of card holders 7 which are respectively alined with the corresponding card holders of the other series and designed to contain cardsbearing the names of the offices to be filled. In the space between adjacent rows or series of card holders, there is a series of voting keys piercing the top of the cabinet, one for each card-holder, and located at the left hand end of said cardholder, whereby a depression of any key registers a vote for the candidate whose name appears in the adjacent card holder.

'lhe interior of the case or cabinet is divided by a series of longitudinal partitions 8, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, into a series of compartments, the tops of the partitions terminating about midway of the depth of the case. These partitions extend from left to right of the case and are arranged to bring each longitudinal compartment directly beneath the name or title of one of the offices and the names of the candidates of the several political parties for this particular office, and is designed to contain the several tally mechanisms for said candidates and to permit these tally mechanisms to be locked when a vote has been cast for any candidate for the same office,

thereby preventing the casting of votes for two candidates for the same oflice.

For each voting key, there is a tally mechanism consisting of a drum 9 having one end open and its other end provided with a head head of the drum and the'successive partitions 8 from front' to rear of the cabinet.

' The open end of the drum is directed towards the back of the cabinet, and there is a spacing block or sleeve 13 pierced by the shaft and interposed between the head of the drum and the adjacent partition which is in rear thereof. The open end of the drum has its peripheral edge provided with a series of zigzag portions 14, and each zigzag portion is provided with ratchet teeth. The rear face ofthe flange 11 is provided with an annular scale, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, said scale being numbered from zero to one hundred, and there are one hundred teeth upon the free edge of the drum, one tooth for each degree of the scale or dial 11. There are ten zigzag portions 14, and each zigzag portion has ten teeth, so as to complete the series of one hundred teeth for the drum. It will here be explained that the drum is indirectly rotated With a step by step movement by the adjacent voting key,

and is directly rotated by a lever 15 which is associated with the key as will be hereinafter described. rIhis lever is fulcrumed, as at 16 below the axis of the drum and upon the partition 8 which is in rear of the drum, the free end of the lever being associated with the adjacent voting key 17. The lower end of the voting key is slotted or bifurcated, as at 18 so as to receive the free end of the lever7 and the latter is rovided with a longitudinal slot 19 through which passes a pivot pin 20 carried by the key and extending across the slot thereof. The fulcrumed end of the lever is provided with a spring detent 21, the free end of which cooperates with the ratchet teeth 14, thereby to rotate the drum as to give the same the necessary elasticity to properly snap into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

To prevent rotation of the drum without,

manipulating the voting key, there is provided a spring latch or detent 22 which is secured within a recess 23 in that partition 8 which is in front of the drum, said detent consisting of a strip of resilient metal having its free end cooperating with' the ratchet teeth upon the cylindrical rim 24 provided upon vthe outer edge of the flange l1. The free end of said detent has a lateral extension 25 constituting a trip element which is received within a recess 26 in the bottom portion of the adjacent face of the voting key in order that the detent may lie in engagement with the toothed rim 24 when the voting key is in its elevated position. When the key is depressed, the upper wall of the recess 26 Wipes across the trlp portion 25, and is preferably rounded or beveled, as shown at 27 in Fig. 4 of the drawings, to form a cam or trip shoulder to force the detent out of engagement with the toothed rim 24. It will now be understood that the detent 24 maintains the tally drum locked against rotation except by manipulation of the voting key, and as the detent is inaccessible from the exterior of the case or cabinet, the tally mechanism cannot be manipulated to fraudulently increase the record of votes cast.

It is proposed to have each vote recorded upon a record tape, such for instance, as shown' at 28. This tape is wound in a roll upon a split spool or roller 29, one end of the tape being drawn into the longitudinal slit or bifurcation of the spool so as to connecty the tape thereto. The ends of the spool are rotatably journaled in the opposite sides of a substantially U-shaped or yoke-shaped bracket 30 having its sides received in seats or guideways 31 formed upon adjacent partitions 8, the outer ends of the guideways or seats being open to permit of the introduction and removal of the bracket. Normally, the bottom 2 of the case or cover closes the open ends of the seats and constitutes a sup? i io By reference to Fig. 12 of the drawings, it will be noted that one end. of the tape is provided with the name of an ol'lice and the name or' the candidate for said ollice, the remaining portion of the tape being blank. The record of the votes cast is recorded upon the tape by means of a pencil actuated by the rotation of the drum as will now be explained. Beneath the drum, there is a recording lever 33 which is fulcrumed, as at 34,

upon each partition which is next in rear of the drum and has its free end disposed to cooperate with the ratchet teeth 14 upon the zigzag peripheral edge of the drum.- Carried by the `free end of this lever and oliset therefrom, is a pencil holder 35 wliich underlies the periphery of the drum and carries a marker 36, such for instance, as a pencil point which is yieldably held against the tape by means o'l" a spring 37 bearing upwardly against the lower edge ot' the lever. By preference, the spring 37 has a flange bent from the lower edge of the metallic lever and has its free end bearing against the bottom of tl i cabinet. For each step by step movement of the drum, the resilient lever or carrier -for the pencil holder being moved laterally by the action of the ratchet teeth 14/ upon the tree end of the carrier, wherefore the pencil point will be moved back and vforth across the tape so as to form a zigzag line, as shown at 38 in Fig. 12 of the drawing. As there are ten teeth upon each zigzag portion of the drum, there will be ten zigzag portions in each line 3S, and therefore the total number of votes cast may be quickly determined by multiplying the number of zigzag lines by ten and adding thereto the number of zigzag portions in the last line marked upon the tape. It will here be explained that the carrier 33 for the pencil holder is pivotally supported, as at 34 or Ain the nature of a lever, in order that the pencil or marker may be moved radially outward to accommodate for the increase in diameter of the drum by the winding of the tape thereon, the marking movement of the marker being imparted to the carrier 33 by reason of its free extremity engaging the ratchet teeth 14 oi" the drum. Then the tally mechanism is originally set, the zero of the dial 1 1 is brought to the bo ttom of the drum in alinement with the index 39, and the dial is read by referring to the graduation thereof which eventually comes into alinement with the index.

As the dial 11 registers one hundred, it is proposed. to provide a hundreds dial 40 which is rotatably mounted upon a swinging arm 41 pivotally supported, as at 42 within a recess 43 in that partition S which is immediately in front of the drum. Upon. that face of the dial which is adjacent the front face of the dial 11 there is an annular series of transverse projections 44 successively numbered from zero, the two dials being overlapped so as to always have one ofthe projections lying within the rim 24 of the dial 11. Between the 85th and 90th degrees of the dial 11, the rim 24 is removed, and a substantially V- shaped trip 45 is provided upon the front side of the dial with its point occupying the middle of the space in the rim 24. lith the drum rotating in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 3, when the trip 45 reaches the hundreds dial 40, its front face strikes that projection 44 which is within the rim 24 and thereby rotates the hundreds dial until the next in rear projection 44 passes in behind the rim 24, whereby the hundreds dial is rotated one step and is then locked by reason of the rim 24 overlapping one of the projections of the hundreds dial. By this means, the hundreds dial is rotated one step for each complete rotation ol the units dial 11, whereby the dial 40 will indicate the hundreds, and the dial 11 the units. Ordinarily, the dial 40 is set with its zero in alinement with the index 46 applied to the adjacent partition S. The trip 45 is of course toothed for engagement with the detent 22 when the interrupted or open portion of the rim 24 is passing thereacross.

The voting key 17, for each tally mechanism, is in the nature of a rectangular bar which works vertically and has a working it between the partitions. The upper end of the body of the key terminates short of the top of the cabinet and is provided with a longitudinal socket 47 in which a push pin 48 is loosely fitted, said pin working tln'ough an opening 49 in the top of the cabinet and rising to a suitable distance above the same. A stop projection 50 is carried by the pin between the top of the key and the top ot' the cabinet to prevent the pin from being drawn out of the cabinet. When the voting key is depressed, as shown at the right hand side of Figs. 2 and 4, the upper end of the pin 4S will be below or ilush with the upper surface of the top of the cabinet so as to prevent withdrawal or' the pin for repeating. However, should the push pin be drawn upwardly, in the depressed position of the key, the pin will merely move upwardly through the socket 47 without effecting the key, thereby eifectually preventing repeating.

1t is of course necessary to lock each voting key and also the other voting keys for the same oliice after any one ofthe keys has been depressed in order to prevent repeating of the vote and the voting for more than one candidate for the same office. Thisfeature is accomplished by means of a series of locking slides 51 which are mounted in corresponding longitudinal guideways upon the upper portions of the partitions S. By prei'- erence, each guideway is formed by upper and lower bars or strips 52 secured to the partition and extending between adjacent As best indicated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8,

keys.

it will be seen that each slide is provided at its forward end with a longitudinal bifurcation 53, the back 54 of which is beveled or inclined downwardly and forwardly, the bifurcation serving to straddle the, adjacent voting key with the front end of the slide in engagement with the rear end of the next in front slide. The locking key is notched at opposite sides, as at 55, so as to reduce the same sufficiently to lit within the bifurcated portions of the locking slide, and the back edge of this reduced portion is provided with a downwardly and forwardly beveled portion 56 against which the beveled portion 54 of the slide normally engages. 1n front of the reduced portion of the voting key, there is a-seat or notch 57 opposite which the rear end of the next in front slide is normally situated. With the voting key and the locking slides in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 2, when a key is depressed, as at the left hand side of Fig. 7, the beveled or cam portion 56 of the key slides downwardly across the beveled or cam portion 54 of the rear slide and'moves the latter rearwardly until its rear bifurcated end 58 enters the front notch 57 in the next in rear voting key. As all of the locking slides abut, all of the slides in rear of the key which is depressed are moved into the locking notches 57 of the respective keys, wherefore all of the keys in rear of the depressed key are locked. When the locking key is depressed, its locking notch or seat 57 passes down below the next in front locking slide, wherefore said slide is prevented from moving rearwardly, and as this slide and the other front slides have the backs of their front bifurcations in the respective notches 56 in the backs of the keys, the slides will be held against endwise movement by the keys, and the keys in turn held against endwise movement by the slides, wherefore all of the keys are locked and further voting for the same office is prevented.

For the purpose of guiding each voting key, in addition to the guide afforded by the pin 48 working through the top of the case or cabinet, there is a guideway formed by a pair of spaced blocks 59 secured between adljacent partitions in front and rear of the keys, so as to receive the middle portion thereof and prevent lateral play in a direc* tion from left to right of the machine.

To provide for resetting the voting key of each political party, there is provided a resetting lever 60 which is fulcrumed at its forward end upon a bracket 61 secured to the inner face of the front of the cabinet above the compartments which contain the tally mechanism. As best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the rear free end of the lever extends into an upright compartment 62 extending longitudinally from left to right of the case. 1n this compartment is mounted a longitudinal shaft 63 which is suitably journaled in the left hand end of the case and pierces the right hand end thereof, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Fixed upon this shaft is a series of cams or eccentrics 64, one for each lever 60, with the free end of the lever resting upon the peripheral edge of the adjacent eccentric, as an adjustable support. That end of the shaft 63 which projects at lthe right hand end of the case is provided with a crank handle 65 for convenience in rotating the shaft from the rear end of the cabinet. At about the middle of the lever 60 there is an upstanding projection 66 which normally engages the free edge of a rock bar 67 extending from front to rear of the cabinet and journaled in the front of the cabinet, as at 68, and in the rear longitudinal partition 69, as at 70. The free end of this rock bar underlies a shoulder 71 projecting rearwardly from each adjacent voting key. When a key is depressed, as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2, the upper shoulder 71- of the key is in contact with or in close proximity with thefree edge of the adjacent rock bar 67. Upon rotating the resetting shaft 63 by manipulation of the crank handle 65 to turn `its eccentrics upwardly, as indicated by the arrow applied to the eccentric in Fig. 5 of the drawings, all of the resetting levers 60 will be elevated, and such voting keys as have ltheir shoulders 71 in engagement with the adjacent rock bars 67 will be elevated by the elevation of the adjacent resetting lever 60 and rock bar 67. In addition to resetting the keys, it is also necessary to-reset the locking slides, and this is accomplished by having an upstanding shoulder or projection 72 upon the rear end portion of the rearmost slide for engagement by* a trip arm 73 depending from the piv- .otally supported edge of the adjacent rock bar 67. When the rock bar is elevated, the arm 73 will swing forwardly into engagement with the shoulder 72 and thereby move the adjacent locking slide 51 forwardly. As all of the slides successively abut, they will all be moved forwardly under the influence of the resetting mechanism so as to occupy their original normal positions in readiness for the Anext operation of the voting keys.

Upon the left hand end of the shaft 63 there is a disk 74 provided with a pair of diametrically opposite edged notches 75 for successive engagement by a tooth or projection upon a gravity latch 76 pivotally supported, as at 77 ,upon the rear side of the partition 69. A handle 78 is carried by the latch and projects through a slot 79 in the left hand end of the cabinet, whereby the latch may be lifted out ofengagement with the disk so as to permit rotation of the shaft 63. rlhe purpose of the latch is to normally lock the resetting shaft 63 and to permit only a onehalf rotation thereto, as the latch will automatically drop down into the opposite notch 75 and thus lock the shaft at the end of a onehalf rotation thereof.

To prevent backwardrotation of the resetting shaft before it has completed its onehalf rotation so as to enable repeating of the vote, it is proposed to provide a ratchet device for the right hand end portion of the resetting shaft within the right hand end of the cabinet. This ratchet device includes a broad face toothed wheel 80 fixed to the shaft andv straddled by aratchet detent including a stem 8]. which is mounted adjacent its lower end upon a pivot pin S2 carriedv by the case or cabinet, the lower end of the stem being forked with its fork members 83 and 84 offset laterally, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, and designed. for successive engagements with the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel. Tripping pins S5 and 86 project radially from the periphery of the wheel at substantially right angles to one another and disposed at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the wheel, whereby the fork member 84 is in the path of the trip pin S6, and the fork 82 is in the path of the trip pin 85.

With the ratchet device in the position shown in Fig. 9, if the shaft be rotated in the direction of the arrow applied to Fig. 9, the member S4 of the detent will remain in engagement with the ratchet wheel until the trip pin S6 wipes across the concaved inner face of the member 84, whereupon the member S4 will be swung out of engagement with the ratchet wheel and the other member 83 will be brought into engagement with the wheel, as shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. During this movement of the shaft, the teeth of the ratchet wheel 80 will, of course wipe by the beveled extremity of the member S4, but any attempt to reverse the rotation of the shaft will be prevented by reason of the abrupt terminal of the member 84 engaging the teeth of the wheel. The trip pin 86 will engage the arm 84 before the shaft has made a one-half rotation, and is so proportioned as to bring the other member S3 into engagement with the ratchet -wheel simultaneously with the return engagement of the latch 76, with the locking disk 74 upon the other end of the shaft 62. hen the voting keys are to be again reset, the resetting shaft 63 is of course rotated in the reverse direction, whereupon the trip pin S5 will become active and return the detent from the position shown in Fig. 10 to the position shown in Fig. 9, it of course having been necessary to first release the latch 76 to permit turning of the shaft. It will of course be understood that when the latch 76 is lifted out of the adjacent notch 75, it is permitted to drop back upon the periphery of the disk in order that it may automatically engage the other notch of the disk when the shaft has made a complete half rotation. A suitable spring S7 has one end secured to the under side of the top of the cabinet with an intermediate portion bowed downwardly, as at S8, in frictional engagement with the top of the stem S1 so as to yieldably hold one or the other of the members S3 and 84 in engagement with` the ratchet wheel, the upper extremity of the stem wiping across the bowed portion of the spring during this operation and lying at one end or the other of the bowed portion of the spring when the resetting shaft is stationary.

To enable the simultaneous depression of all of the voting keys for one political party, there is provided a straight voting element which is a rock bar 89 disposed in a substantially horizontal position from front to rear of the machine at the right hand side of a set of voting keys and pivotally support-ed in the front of the cabinet, as at 90, and in the partition 69, as at91, with the left hand free edge of the bar resting upon a substantially horizontal shoulder 92 projecting from each of the voting keys. The front pivot 90 of the resetting rock bar projects externally of the case and is provided with a suitable crank handle 93. Upon depressing the crank handle 93, the rock bar 89 will be swung downward and thereby depress all of the voting keys of the series to which it belongs so as to vote a straight ticket by one manipulation of the handle 93. The keys of the locking slides are of course reset in the manner hereinbefore described, and the resetting of the keys of course resets the straight voting device as the rock bar 89 is elevated by the upward movement of the shoulders 92 of the voting keys.

Under some circumstances it is desirable to lock some of the voting keys of all of the political parties which apply to certain offices, for instance, where women vote for some of the offices, wherefore l have provided the locking mechanism which is best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings. 1n carrying out this feature, l provide a vertically movable locking slide 94 located in rear of the rearmost key locking slide of each series of slides and carried by a clamp screw 95 working in an upright slot 96 in the left hand end of the case. A transverse partition 97 is provided adjacent the left han d end of the case so as to form a guideway between the partition and the adjacent. end of the case for the slide 94. Normally, the slide 94 is at its lower limit with its upper end below the adjacent'key locking slide 51, and by giving the screw 95 a rotation to loosen it, the slide 94 may be elevated so as to lie across the rear end of the adjacent key locking slide 5l, whereupon the clamping screw is tightened so as to hold the slide 94 in its elevated position and operating to hold the key locking slides 51 at their forward limits so as to prevent depression of any of the voting keys in the series of keys which is to be locked.

It will of course be understood that the locking slides 94 are entirely independent upon one another in order that any series of voting keys may be locked. I also contemplate locking all ofthe key locking slides, and this is accomplished by the means best shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings. Disposed beneath the looking slides 94 and between the artition 97 and the adjacent end of the ca inet, there is a pair of toggle levers 98 which have their inner ends overlapped and pivotally connected by'a pin 99 while their outer ends are pivotally supported, as at 100 and 101, the pin 99 being of a length to project through the adjacent end of the cabinet and work in an upright slot 102 formed therein. Interposed between the toggle levers'and the bottoms of the slides 94 is a vertically movable bar or cross head 103 which rests upon upstanding projections 104 rising from the respective levers. Normally, the levers 98 are at their lower limits with the slides 94 resting upon the cross bar 103, so that, by lifting the handle 99, the levers 98 and the cross bar 103 will be elevated thereby simultaneously elevating all of the slides 94 so as to lock all of the key locking slides. The levers 98 are locked in their elevated positions by a locking bolt 105 working endwise through the guideways between the artition 97 and the adjacent end of the ca inet. This bolt is slidably supported upon pins 106 piercing the partition 97 and the end of the cabinet and received in u wardly inclined slots 107 formed in the bo t. In the under edge of the bolt there is a key notch or seat 108 which is located opposite a keyhole 109 formed through the cabinet. A spring 110 bears against the left hand end of the bolt 105, and normally presses the forward end thereofagainst the adjacent side of the handle 99.` When the handle 99 is elevated and rises above the bolt, the latter is shot beneath the handle by means of the spring 110, whereby the levers 98, the cross head 103 and the locking slides 94 will b e locked in their elevated positions. To release the slides, a suitable key is introduced through the key hole 109 and turned to the left so as to withdraw the locking bolt from beneath the handle 99, whereupon thel locking mechanism will gravitate out of engagement with the key locking slides 51 so as to release the latter.

Should the voter desire to vote for a candidate whose name does not appear upon the tickets ofthe difierent political parties, there has been provided means for independent voting located at the right hand end of the cabinet and shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 13 of the drawings. In alinement with each longitudinal series of card holders 6, a longitudinal slot 111 is formed through the mounted an oscillating chute 112 which is open at its top and bottom ends and is pivotally supported intermediate of its ends upon a pivot pin 113 carried by the adjacent latch end of the cabinet, and a pivot pin 114 carried by a partition 115 extending from front to rear of the cabinet. The adjacent voting key 17 is rovided with a pin or projection 116 wor ring in a slot 117 in the partition 115, and in an upright slot 118 formed in the adjacent portion of the chute and inclined to the vertical. This slot 118 is disposed so that when the adjacent voting key is in its normal elevated position, the pin 116 will hold the chute inclined to the vertical, as indicated in Fig. 13, so as to be out of alinement with the slot 111 in the top of the cabinet. When the voting key is depressed, the chute is tilted into a vertical position in alinement with the slot 111, whereupon the voter may drop a card through the slot and the chute, into the compartment 119, it of course being understood that the voter has previously written the name of the desired candidate upon the card. When the resetting mechanism is manipulated, the voting key is of course elevated in the manner hereinbeore described, whereby the chute 112 will be tilted out of alinement with the slot 111 so as to avoid repeating of the vote. When the chute 112 is in an upright position, its lower open end lies across a horizontal bar or partition 120 which closes the bottom of the chute and prevents the introduction of more than one card into the chute.

It will be noted. that by employing the keys 17 having sockets 47, as shown in Fig. 3, to receive push pins 48 which extend through openings 49 in the upper end of the cabinet, said push pins serve as guides for the upper ends of the keys 17, for which reason it is unnecessary to provide any stationary guiding means for said keys to hold their upper ends in proper position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: j

1. A voting machine having a voting key provided with a telescopic push pin which is movable outwardly independently oi' the key to prevent withdrawal of the key after it has been forced inwardly, said push pins serving to guide and steady the adjacent end of the key.

2. In a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of an endwise movable voting key terminating short of one side ofthe cabinet, and a push pin working through said side of the cabinet and telescoped with the key to force the latter inwardly, said pin serving to guide and steady the adjacent end ofthe key and being capable of being drawn outward independent of the key to prevent withdrawal of the latter after it has been forced inwardly.

65 top of the cabinet, and beneath this slot is lA 3. In a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of an endwise movable voting key terminating short of one side ofthe cabinet, and a push pin working through said side of the cabinet and telescoped with the voting key to force the latter inwardly and capable of being moved outwardly independently of the key, said pin serving to guide and steady the adjacent end of the key and having a stop shoulder located between the outer end Aof the key and the adjacent side of the cabinet for engagement with the latter' to prevent entire withdrawal of the pin.

4L. A voting machine having an endwise movable voting key provided at its outer end with a longitudinal socket, and a push pin slidably received within the socket to actuate the key, said pin serving to guide and steady the adjacent end of the key and being capable of being moved outwardly through the socket without withdrawing the key.

5. In a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of an endwise movable voting key having its outer end terminating short of one end of the cabinet and provided with a longitudinal socket, and a push pin working through said side of the cabinet and slidably received within the socket to force the key inwardly said pin serving to guide and steady the adjacent end of the key and being capable of being moved outwardly through the socket without withdrawing the key.

6. ln a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of an endwise movable voting key, a locking slide therefor which is actuated thereby, a supplemental locking slide for the key locking slide, and a clamp screw working sidewise in a slot in the cabinet and connected to the supplemental slide for moving and fixing the same.

7. In a voting machine, the combination of a series of voting keys, locking slides associated with the respective keys and actuated thereby, an independently movable supplemental slide for each key locking slide, and means common to the supplemental slides for simultaneously moving them into engagement with the respective key locking slides, said means being disengaged from the supplemental slides so that one or more of said slides can be independently moved without disturbing the means for simultaneously moving the slide.

8. In a voting machine, the combination of a series of voting keys, key locking slides associated with and actuated by the respective keys, an independently movable supplemental locking slide for each key-locking slide, a lever, and a cross head interposed between the lever and the supplemental slides for simultaneously moving the latter into engagement with the key locking slides by the actuation of the lever, said cross-head being disengaged from said supplemental slides so that one or more of said supplemental slides can be moved. without causing any movement of the cross-head.

9. ln a voting machine, the combination of a series of voting keys, locking slides associated with the respective keys and actuated thereby, an independently-movable supplemental slide for each locking slide, a crosshead adapted simultaneously to operate all the supplemental slides, and a pair of oppositely-extending levers having a pivotal connection with each other for operating said cross-head, substantially as described.

10. ln a voting machine, the combination of a series of voting keys, locking slides associated with and actuated jy the'keys, a supplemental locking device for each locking slide, a cross-head adapted simultaneously to operate said supplemental locking devices, said cross-head being disengaged from said locking devices so that one or more of said locking devices can be operated without moving said cross-head, and a key-controlled locking mechanism for said cross-head.

11. In a voting machine, the combination of a series of voting keys, locking slides associated with and actuated by the respective keys, supplemental locking slides for the locking slides, a hand controlled lever common to the supplemental locking slides, and a key controlled locking bolt associated with the lever.

12. In a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of a series of voting keys, locking slides associatedy with and actuated by the keys, supplemental locking slides for the key locking slides, a lever common to all of the supplemental slides, a handle for the lever working through a slot in the cabinet, and a key controlled bolt working within the cabinet in cooperative relation with the handle.

13. In a voting machine, the combination with a cabinet, of a series of voting keys, resetting levers associated with the keys and extending from front to rear of the cabinet with their forward ends fulcrumed thereon, a resetting shaft disposed transversely beneath the rear free ends of the levers, and eccentrics carried by the shaft with the free ends of the levers supported upon the peripheries of the respective eccentrics.

14. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting key, a resetting lever therefor, a resetting shaft, an eccentric carried by the shaft and associated with the lever, a ratchet for the shaft, and means to automatically reverse the ratchet at a predetermined rotation of the shaft.

15. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting key, a resetting mechanism therefor including a shaft, an eccentric carried thereby for resetting the key, a ratchet wheel carried by the shaft, a double detent associated with the wheel, and means to automatically reverse the detent at a predetermined rotation of the shaft.

t1 '16. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting key, resetting mechanism therefor including a shaft and an eccentric carried thereby for resetting the key, a ratchet wheel upon the shaft, a forked pivotal detent straddling the wheel with its arms disposed for successive' engagement therewith, and trip -projections carried by the shaft and associated with the respective arms of the detent to successively reverse the latter after a predetermined rotation of the shaft.

17. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting key, tally mechanism, a partition adjacent to the tally mechanism and locking means for the tally mechanism which is tripped by the actuation of the voting key, said locking means being located between said tally mechanism and partition and thereby covered and. concealed to prevent tampering therewith.

18. In a voting machine, the combination of a voting key, tally mechanism, a partition adjacent to the tally mechanism and locking means tor the tally mechanism which is automatically tripped by the actuation of the 'voting key prior to the actuation of the tally 20. In a voting machine, the combination of a tally mechanism, a voting key therefor having a cam, a partition adjacent to the tally mechanism and locking means for the tally mechanism which has a portion in the path of the cam to be tripped thereby for releasing the tally mechanism upon actuation of the key, said locking means being located between said tally mechanism and partition and thereby covered and concealed to prevent tampering therewith.

21. In a voting machine, the combination with a slidable key, a tally mechanism including a ratchet wheel, and a partition adjacent to the tally mechanism, of a lever actuated by the key and having a detent engaging the ratchet wheel to impart a stepby-step movement thereto, said detent being located between said tally mechanism and partition and thereby covered and concealed to prevent tampering therewith.

22. In a voting machine, the combination with a slidable voting key, a tally mechanism including a ratchet wheel, and a parti'- tion adjacent to the tally mechanism, of means actuated by the key and associated with the wheel to impart a step-by-step movement thereto, and a latch engaging the ratchet wheel to lock the same and disposed in the path of a portion of the key to be released thereby, said latoh being located between said tally mechanism and partition and thereby covered and concealed to prevent tampering therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aHiXed myl signature in the -presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE MORRIS WARNER.

Vitnesses:

FRANK L. BRODD, S. HeANDERsoN. 

